Another option for using your digital planner is to import it into OneNote, the Microsoft platform that comes with Windows.

It is also available for Android and Apple devices, and it does sync across platforms.

I have spent the last couple of days working with this app and trying to figure out how it would work using the planner. I've used OneNote in the past, and it is a wonderful app for what it was built for.

Janet Storck, an administrator in the Seriously Simple Planning Facebook group, and a member of the Digital Planning, IPlanner and BuJo group, is a big fan of this app for her planner, and is probably the very best resource for information on how to set it up and work with it. She is a reader of this blog and has commented on some entries, so you can contact her through the comments, or better yet, find her in the Facebook group.

My experience in trying to import the planner was pretty frustrating. Since I was used to using OneNote on my PC, I decided to start on that platform. When I imported it into OneNote, the planner pages imported sideways, making it look like this:

The pages of the 2016 iPlanner from Digitally Speaking imported into OneNote sideways.

Obviously, that is not how it should look. There is no tool in OneNote to change the orientataion of a pdf. I searched through OneNote forums and Googled how to rotate the files so they would be right, and got even more frustrated. Several third party apps were suggested, and one of them was just too convoluted for me to understand. You'd think a program as powerful as OneNote would have this feature included.

After a couple of hours of trying to figure it out, I sought Janet out in the Facebook group and discovered that she used the iPad app to import the planner and that it imported correctly.

I tried that but still had some issues.

Tam Spires, creator of the Seriously Simple planner, sent me a link to her OneNote notebook with the planner set up as it should be, and this is what it looks like.

This is the setup in Tam Spires' OneNote. Each month is in a separate tab, and each month contains the monthly spread and weekly spreads for that month.

Once the planner is imported, pages must be copied and pasted under the tabs for each month.

Then you can begin the fun of decorating.

For me, and I emphasize this is MY opinion regarding MY situation, this is not the optimum setup for the planner. It takes away the simplicity of using the planner in GoodNotes or Metamoji Notes. For me, the time and effort to set it all up is just too much when compared with the simplicity of GoodNotes and Metamoji Notes.

That's not to say it does not have its good points. For Janet and others who use this setup, it offers the ability to do planning on the computer screen and it syncs across platforms. Both GoodNotes and Metamoji Notes also can be used on a PC or Mac, but GoodNotes is only available for Apple devices, and several people have commented that the Mac version is difficult to use.

Since I don't use OneNote for the planner, and had enough difficulty just getting a planner into the app, I don't have any experience using the sticker kits to decorate, but Janet has, and she can give you the 411 on that.

My personal preference for a notes app is GoodNotes. I like the functionality of the tabs, and I love its straightforward interface. All you have to do is import it, and you're ready to go. There is no setup, other than adding any pages you want to have for extra sections, which is simple. The few features it does not have, such as a large selection of fonts, the lack of ability to lower the opacity of an image, and the lack of a library to store commonly used elements, have easy workarounds, some involving third party apps, which I'll show you in future posts.

If you're interested in OneNote, try it out. It's all about what works for you. It just doesn't work that well for me...for THIS purpose.

First, I am not an expert on the app but am happy to share what little knowledge I have. No one app is going to have everything for every planner( Though Tam is working on building one, ha!)

My advice is to figure out what you want and need from your planner.
My most important "want and need" was for it to work on my laptop. I use a mac for work and 90% of the day I am planted in front of my Mac desktop or have my mac laptop in my lap. I travel often with Hubby and my mac air is my go to over my Ipad Pro. So that need ruled out mac as I was not pleased with the stability of the Mac onenote app for laptops. Is has gotten better. I just got use to all I could do in onenote and was frustrated with goodnotes lack of bells and whistles when compared to it.

It is important to note as well that I am 61, Work from Home, Empty nest, I do not have a lot of todos and literal planning to do. I approach it more from a digital scrapbooker than for a functional planner. I could fill every day with pics of my grandkids snagged off my kids facebooks page. I found this last holiday I had my tablet close by for Pics and videos of all the grandchildren and had them in my planner quickly. :)

That is the beauty of digital planning, do what "floats your boat"! The biggest frustration is the many options that are out there, the gorgeous posts of those planner pages and the mentality of the grass is always greener on the other planner app. Ha! I try to keep my focus on one app and I try to learn and do that one app well. As I try to help others I learn right along side with them. It may seem as if I know a lot about the one note app but truthfully I am just one google search ahead of a few others. But I do make a point o listen or watch any video I can on it. I do look at other aps and think "that would be cool to do" if I can not figure it out (yet) in onenote I move on, Onenote and I are in a committed relationship and I do not see any break up in the near future. I do wish that the hyperlinks worked but it was not as high on my list as some other functions were.

Dianne, You have done a great job of overviewing the onenote app. I agree with you it is not the best for SSP or the IPlanner but I like it and for me and what I need it is darn close to perfect. :)

Reply

Dianne

12/4/2016 05:41:14 pm

Janet, there isn't a whole lot for me to plan any more now that I'm retired. I end up using the pages for memory keeping. Since we are retired and live on a farm, our schedule is pretty much determined by the goats, chickens and pig. We do, though, have a large family and lots of birthdays, and we're involved in our church, so there are events there.

I turned 68 this year (where did the time go?) and while I love to learn new technology, when I get comfortable with something, I'm reluctant to let it go. I've been trying these other apps to see how they'll fit with my personality and my lifestyle. I think that's how everyone will make their decision. I'm so impressed with your grasp of how to do this in OneNotes, and the pages you have posted are nothing short of awesome.

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Reply

Janet

12/4/2016 06:28:56 pm

Thanks Dianne, Keep in mind a lot of those planner pages I post are just "overlays" from my digital scrapbook kits. I use to use them when I printed the pages. I pretty much buy any planning pages from FrouFrou Crafts ad Manu Studio on Etsy. I love their graphic designs. I give credit where credit is due so I typically post a link to the page on etsy . They just make me "look good" when in reality it took like 5 minutes to cut and paste them in. ;) For those who want to see them they can check out my instagram I post layouts and who I get them from on there Janet_storck is my user name.

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Author

Welcome! I'm Dianne, a retired journalism teacher and publications adviser who is still addicted to planning and playing with technology. I share my life today with my husband Buz, six kids and their significant others, 21 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, 10 goats, 11 chickens, 4 dogs and a potbellied pig.

​I'm into planner sticker designing and have a shop on Etsy and I also enjoy Bible journaling.

I am in no way affiliated with Seriously Simple Digital Planners, Spires Media, iPlanner Digital Planners or Digitally Speaking. I purchase all digital planners and am not compensated in any way for reviews or articles.

Nor am I affiliated in any way with GoodNotes, MetamojiNotes or OneNote or any other app which may be mentioned here.

All opinions are my own.

I am, however, the owner/designer of DiDiDigi-Planners by Grandma DiDi Designs.